The Little Mermaid: Boats And Ships Explained

In Disney's 1989 animated film 'The Little Mermaid', the boat featured is a sailing ship known as the Royal Ship. The film begins with the ship being tossed by a hurricane, which sweeps up both the vessel and its crew in a volley of wind and water. The ship is also seen at the beginning of the film when a sailor tells Prince Eric and Grimsby the legend surrounding King Triton. The Royal Ship makes a cameo in the 2023 live-action remake of the film, where it is destroyed by gunpowder.

The Royal Ship is a sailing ship featured in the 1989 film

However, a hurricane suddenly strikes, causing the ship to be violently swept up in a volley of wind and water. Ariel is thrown off the ship and into the sea, while Scuttle is blown away by the wind. As Ariel resurfaces, she witnesses the ship being struck by lightning and catching fire. The ship eventually crashes into a group of rocks, sending the crew and the statue overboard. Although they all make it to the lifeboat, Eric realises that Max is still on the ship and returns to rescue him. Eric manages to get Max to safety but gets his foot stuck in a hole and is blown away by a massive explosion, landing in the sea, unconscious. Ariel, seeing him in danger of drowning, swims towards him and brings him to shore.

The Royal Ship also makes an appearance in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea during the song "Tip and Dash". In this scene, the ship is used by Prince Eric for travel to Agrabah. Additionally, the ship appears in the 2023 live-action remake of the 1989 film, where it undergoes a similar fate as in the original.

Ariel spies on Eric from a lifeboat in the 2023 remake

In the 2023 remake of The Little Mermaid, Ariel spies on Eric from a lifeboat hanging off the side of his ship. This change from the original film, where she spies on him from a platform, makes more sense as it provides better cover for her and is a safer option. It also fixes a plot hole regarding the survival of Eric's crew during a storm, as they now have lifeboats to escape in.

Ariel, a mermaid princess, is curious about the human world, especially after seeing fireworks above the ocean one night. She swims to the surface and finds Prince Eric's ship. She then spies on him and his crew from the lifeboat, witnessing his kindness firsthand and falling in love with him. This marks the beginning of her journey, where she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to walk on land and ultimately finds herself in Eric's world.

The remake maintains the essence of the original 1989 animated film while updating certain aspects to make them more realistic and logical. This attention to detail enhances the viewing experience and showcases the benefits of live-action remakes, allowing for a deeper exploration of the story and its characters.

Ariel's decision to spy on Eric is a pivotal moment in the film, as it sets in motion a series of events that shape her destiny. Her curiosity about the human world and her desire to learn more about Eric drive her to take risks and challenge the boundaries set by her father, King Triton.

The lifeboat scene is a subtle yet significant change that demonstrates the filmmakers' commitment to creating a more coherent and believable narrative. It showcases their attention to detail and their willingness to address plot inconsistencies present in the original. This adaptation strives for a more realistic portrayal, ensuring that the magic of the story remains intact while enhancing its overall impact.

The ship in the original film may be a Spanish galleon

The ship in Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid is likely a Spanish galleon, according to Kevin Crisman, the director of the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M University. Crisman notes that the ship appears to be from the 1500s or early 1600s, built in the style of Europe's Renaissance period. This conclusion is supported by the presence of ropes and sails, which suggest a timeframe of four to six weeks before the ship sank, as organic matter like ropes and sails rots quickly in saltwater.

The ship in the film exhibits several design features typical of Spanish galleons, including a flat stern. While ships of this era sometimes had flat sterns, they were usually tapered to allow the rudder to reach the water. The film's galleon has a significant design flaw in that there is no way for water to flow around the rudder, making it impossible to steer. This likely contributed to the ship's demise in the film, as it is struck by a hurricane and swept up in a volley of wind and water.

The presence of a cannon on the ship also aligns with the weaponry typically found on Spanish galleons of that time period. However, there are some anachronisms and inaccuracies within the film's portrayal. For example, the round portholes on the ship's side would not have been common until much later, and the fork and pipe discovered by Ariel would have been uncommon for a 16th-century ship.

Despite some discrepancies, the ship in The Little Mermaid appears to be largely inspired by the design of Spanish galleons from the Renaissance period, adding a touch of historical flavour to the magical undersea world of the film.

Ariel's grotto contains a candelabra, a giant lantern, and large open-mouthed pots

In the 1989 Disney film 'The Little Mermaid', Ariel's Grotto is a treasure trove of artefacts collected from shipwrecks. It contains a candelabra, a giant lantern, and large open-mouthed pots, all of which are accurate reflections of the objects that might be salvaged from sunken ships.

Ariel's grotto, a fantasyland home, is a colourful cave adorned with starfish, coral, and waterfalls. It is located in a magical undersea world, serving as a meet-and-greet area in several Disney parks. The grotto is filled with treasures from the human world, such as tarnished tankards and pan lids, carefully collected by Ariel.

The candelabra, for instance, is an object that occasionally turns up in shipwrecks, according to a shipwreck expert, Kevin Crisman. While it is not a practical item for a ship, it is not out of the realm of possibility to find one in a sunken vessel.

The giant lantern spotted by Crisman in a screenshot of the film is likely a stern lantern. These lanterns were used on ships, and while they may not survive a violent sinking, a gentle, slow descent to the ocean floor might leave them intact.

The large, open-mouthed pots also get Crisman's approval. He identifies them as Portuguese storage jars used to transport goods like olives and olive oil.

While Ariel's collection may not be entirely accurate historically, it does add to the magical and adventurous atmosphere of the film. The grotto and its contents showcase Ariel's enthusiasm for human culture, and one could even imagine her pursuing a career in maritime archaeology if not for her involvement with Prince Eric.

The Royal Ship, a sailing vessel featured in the film, is likely a Spanish galleon dating back to the 1500s or early 1600s. It is a recognisable type of ship with ropes and sails, indicating that it sank within the last four to six weeks before Ariel's exploration.

The eccentric seagull Scuttle is based on a Pacific gull

The eccentric seagull Scuttle is a friend of Ariel and a self-proclaimed expert on human objects. He lives off the coast of Prince Eric's kingdom and has had numerous encounters with humans, which leads him to believe himself to be knowledgeable about human culture. However, his explanations of human objects to Ariel are often incorrect and consist of nonsense. For example, he identifies a fork as a "dinglehopper" used for combing hair and a smoking pipe as a "snarfblatt" resembling a saxophone or trumpet.

Scuttle's eccentric personality and love for human objects set him apart from the other characters in Ariel's circle of friends. He is also the only one among them capable of flight, which proves to be very useful in times of crisis. Despite his manic and grating demeanour, Scuttle forms a strong friendship with Ariel after saving Sebastian from a band of pirates. He plays a crucial role in helping Ariel navigate the human world and achieve her goals.

In the 2023 live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid", Scuttle's design was changed from a seagull to a Northern gannet, a sea-diving bird. This alteration allowed for a more natural connection between Scuttle and Ariel, as she could meet him underwater and obtain information about the surface world. The change in Scuttle's species also supported the narrative decision that Ariel had never been to the surface, increasing the stakes when she finally breached the water's edge.

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